New Delhi: Delhi Capitals fast bowler Mukesh Kumar demonstrated strong bowling against Mumbai Indians. Mukesh pushed Mumbai on the backfoot by taking the wickets of Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Verma in the same over, from where it could not make a comeback. After the match, Mukesh said that along with saving runs, his priority is always to take wickets. Delhi Capitals defeated Mumbai by 6 wickets on the basis of the excellent performance of the bowlers led by Mukesh and the aggressive innings of 90 runs by 'Player of the Match' Sameer Rizvi.
The team achieved the target of 163 runs in 18.1 overs. Praising 22-year-old Rizvi, who scored a half-century in the second consecutive match of the season, Mukesh said that after settling on the crease, it becomes difficult to stop him. He said, “He is a batsman with positive thinking. If he spends some time at the crease, it is not easy for any bowler to stop him. His being in form is a good sign for the team.”
Mukesh dismissed Rickleton and Tilak in the same over.
During the match, Mukesh brought great success to the team by dismissing Ryan Rickleton and Tilak Verma in the third over of Mumbai's innings, who were batting in excellent rhythm, within three balls. He said that the team was successful in understanding the nature of the pitch and made a strategy accordingly. Mukesh said, “First of all one has to understand the wicket. If the pitch is slow, then work has to be done on length and variety accordingly. In this match, I used the cutter along with the length ball because the ball was coming at a halt.
Mukesh said that initially he tried to achieve swing, but considering the circumstances, he soon changed his strategy. He said, “There are usually high-scoring matches in Delhi, but this time the wicket was not what we had expected. We had asked for a flat pitch, but what we got worked for us.
My aim is to take wickets along with saving runs- Mukesh
On his mindset while bowling, he said, “My focus is always on taking wickets. If I bowl defensively, there is no pressure on the batsman. Opportunities are created only by bowling with an aggressive mindset.'' Emphasizing the importance of powerplay in T20 cricket, he said that early wickets can change the course of the match.
He said, “If wickets are taken in the powerplay, then mental pressure is created on the batting team and the run rate remains controlled. If wickets do not fall, the team easily scores 70-80 runs, whereas if wickets fall, the score can be limited to 50.
